Ginger breeze
by starbrc
Summary: Rues sister Ginger didn't know what she was in for when she volunteered to take her friend Lily's place in the Hunger games. I hope you like it. this is my first fanfic so please tell me what I need to improve
1. Chapter 1

I swung down from the branch of an apple tree, where I was gathering food. But not for me, for the capitol. The deranged, ruthless, violent capitol. The very people who took my sister from me. I walked over to my friend Lily, who held the basket. Her long blond hair was matted and had pieces of twigs and burrs caught in it. Her face was dirty, covered in scratches and insect bites from the orchard. The least the capitol can do is keep us safe while working, but no. They're too lazy to get off their butts and keep us alive_._ I placed the shiny, round, delicious looking fruit in the basket. I wish it was for my family, we hardly have enough food. "Hi Ginger," said Lily, her voice sounded sad. No surprise it does, today is the day of the reaping. "Hi Lily, you nervous?" I asked already knowing the answer. "Yeah I'm nervous Ginger. I don't want what happened to rue to happen to me." _no one does. " _I hate the reaping, its a sick way for the capitol to show its tough," I told her but she knows why I hate this day. This is the same day that two years ago my sister was picked to go into the hunger games. This is the day that my family was stripped off their hope, all for the capitols amusement. _I will never forgive the stupid capitol for what they did._

When it was time to go home, I didn't talk to Lily like I normally did. I walked strait home, so I could get dressed for the diabolical reaping. On my bed was a blue dress, covered in birds. Covered in mockingjays. w_ow, if only Rue were here to wear it she would have loved it_. I put it on, and it fit beautifully_. _I located my hairbrush, and walked over to my family's only mirror. I brushed my hair until it wasn't tangled and until everything was out of it. Then I walked into the kitchen and found a note sitting on the table. it said that my family was already at the town square for the reaping. I shoved the into the garbage can and ran off to join my family, hoping I wouldn't get reaped.


	2. Chapter 2

When I got to the town square immediately saw everyone stare at me. _Maybe they're staring because I'm Rues sister? _ I ran up to my family. My brother John, sisters Marina, Grace, Serena, and my parents stared at the stage nervously. "I'm so nervous, I don't want to get reaped." My sister Serena said with fear in her voice. "Serena you won't get picked. Your names in there once out of hundreds." I told her. "Gingers right, you won't get picked. Even if you do I'd volunteer if you were." Said John, his face nervous and scared looking. "Ginger," said Marina "Could you sing something?" Grace, Serena, and John nodded in agreement. "Please Ginger, please" they said in squeaky voices trying to get me to laugh. "Fine, fine I will." I laughed and opened my mouth. But before I could get any words out, the capitol escort Eve Prilstin spoke into the microphone. "Hello, district eleven. I am so glad to see all of your exited faces, just waiting for our lucky two children to be picked for the hunger games." _Ugh her voice is so weird and high pitched. _"And now for our boy tribute_" good no ladies first. I hate that. _I gripped Johns hand tightly. "Please don't be him, please." I mumbled under my breath. "And our boy tribute is….." Eve dipped her hand into the bowl of entries, which were written on cornhusks. "Ryan nimbspol!" she said exited. "Good it's not you" I said to John who had started to tremble. We all were to be honest. "And our girl tribute is…." Eve put her hand into the bowl of entries. "Lily Wolvhame" "No, it can't be her" I whispered to myself, It was Rue all over again. "I volunteer as tribute." I screamed. Lily wouldn't go into the games. I would.


	3. Chapter 3

"Well," said Eve "Come onto the stage"I rolled my eyes. _no way I'm going onto that stage. _"I'll pass on that offer, if you don't mind." I told her and a wave of laughter passed through the crowd. "Just come onto the stage." said Eve, her face now turning a lovely shade of red. (note the sarcasm) "No thanks, I would rather not walk toward my death." I told her again. I was not going onto the stage. Sadly, but not surprisingly the peacekeepers had other ideas. They walked up to me and grabbed my arms. They stared half carrying, half dragging me toward the stage. I was dropped onto the stage and tried to make a run for it, but a peacekeeper blocked my path. "Fine, I'll stay on the damn stage." I yelled at one of the peacekeepers after she started threatening me. "Okay, now that you're on the stage, what is your name?" asked Eve in a tone that showed me I had annoyed her. "Why should I tell you, the capitol keeps tabs on everyone who has any relation to a former tribute, don't they?" I screamed at her. "Not to mention, its the quarter quell and the twist is that everyone in the arena will be someone who was close to dead tribute? Or am I wrong?" I screamed at her. _no doubt the capitol will edit that out. just like those cowards. _"just tell us your name so we can get on with it!" screamed Eve, her patience totally gone. "My name is Ginger, Ginger Stenberg." I said and then closed my mouth. I scanned the crowd silently, until my eyes locked on Lily. She stared at me, her mouth open. She held out her three middle fingers, just like Katniss had done when Rue died. It was then that I saw that the whole population of district eleven was doing this.


	4. Chapter 4

After she congradulated us on being tributes, Eve loaded me and Ryan into a car. Up until that moment I'd never been in a car. I had however, been to this cars destination, the Justice building. I went there to say my goodbyes to Rue, and to collect her dead body. Her body still had the spear in it. The justice building would be where I said goodbye to my family. At least, as soon as I got there.

There was no conversation in the car. I tried to not look at anyone, especially Ryan. I didn't want to get attached to any other tributes, it would only bring trouble. Still, I couldn't help but notice that Ryan looked exited. I hope it was because he's in a car if its because he is tribute well, I might slit his throat in the arena. Anyone who is a piece in the capitols games and likes it deserves to die. Sure, I volunteered for Lily but that was because she would die in the arena on the first second. I had a small chance, before my sister died we had foraged and hunted and occasionally stolen. If I could grab a knife and a blanket, I would be okay. Provided there were trees.

When the car got to the justice building a few tears leaked from my eyes. This was the place where I last saw my sister. "You okay Ginger?" asked Ryan looking somewhat puzzled. "Yeah, just bad memories." I told him, blinking rapidly to hold in my tears. They then took me to a windowless room. This was where I would most likely see the last of my family. Unless the odds were in my favor. But then again, odds haven't been very dependable lately.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! I'm so so so sorry this took so long! I have no excuse. Review!**

When the car arrived at the justice building I felt like vomiting. I didn't want to be here. I was so nervous, so scared, that at one point I started hyperventilating. Ryan slapped me across the face at one point to shut me up. My rapid breathing turned normal soon after that. "Sorry," said Ryan apologetically. "You scared me a little bit." I rolled my eyes. "Its fine," I muttered and slapped him across the face. "Now we're even. Lets keep it that way."

There was silence after that. A peacekeeper took me into a small, dark, windowless room. I sat down on one of the chairs in the room. It was hard and uncomfortable. _Gee,_ I thought, _the capitol is so kind. Man, I love sarcasm._ "They'll be in soon." said the peacekeeper. "Fine, is that sympathy in your voice? I'm shocked anyone who likes the capitol has feelings." she turned around and grabbed my collar, which choked me. Well, she made the mistake of keeping my feet free. I kicked her in the shin. Hard. She walked out of the room, totally pissed off. I fixed my collar and discovered she had left a note. I opened it. _Dear, Ginger. We are on your side. -Eleven, all of us. _ I ate it so no one could find it.

Lily walked into the room. I ran over to her and we hugged. "I am so sorry," she said into my shoulder. "It's not your fault Lily," I mumbled. "I choose my fate, not you." she released her hug. "You say fate, your not going to die." a peacekeeper entered. "Lets go." she said and grabbed Lily's arm. "Ginger I believe in you. We all do!" reached for her hand but she was gone. I felt like crying.

My family walked in. For ten long, silent , minutes we just stood there, embracing. "I'm sorry," I whispered. "We know." stated Serena, her eyes wide. "I love you guys." I mumbled, trying not to cry. "I'll win. For all of us, for Rue." That was when a peacekeeper came in and pulled them out. Graces hand was still in mine and she remained in the room. She kissed my cheek. I just hugged her and cried. Then, a minute later, a peacekeeper came in and dragged her out. The hunger games really had begun.

**Review! I'll post as soon as I can, but I have finals and need to study. YAY! new English classes next year. Hmm... I think i'll take German too.**


	6. Chapter 6

I was so tired. The long journey to the capitol was in progress and I was on a train. It was super fast and luxurious. It was so well engineered that if i put a glass of water on the floor, there were no ripples. Amazing how well the capitol could do things for the people they will soon kill. I wonder how my sister felt when she was on this journey. God, I missed her so much. I missed singing with her, climbing trees with her, even switching during harvest season so one of us could sneak into the meadow to forage and hunt. When she died I had to hunt alone, for longer periods of time. I still had a good turnout though. We found out she was good with a slingshot, scary good, and that I was killer with throwing knives or regular knives.

I got up and stretched. The comfy bed I'd been sitting in was draped in a green bedspread with birds knitted everywhere on it. I think its handmade. Hm... One of the birds was a mockingjay. Perhaps... I started digging through whatever drawers i could find in the small room. "Finally..." I whispered, drawing a pair of scissors out of the ebony drawer. I walked over to the bed and cut the mockingjay off the bedspread. I did the same with a small bird that resembled a robin. It had slightly different eyes , messed up by the knitting. The room had more outfits than I'd ever owned in its drawers. I dug around in one of them until i came across one that had a headpiece . It was a small, blue thing that seemed to give off its own light. There were cut stones, bits of quartz that were clear for some reason, in such strategic places that light became trapped until a stone was moved. It had some pins that held the stones in place and i carefully picked some off. Not a hard feat for someone who had worked in orchards near nests that the peacekeepers made you stick your fingers in for honey. I intertwined them with bits of wire i'd picked from a bra that had been in the drawer and made a makeshift pin, like Katniss' mockingjay. I pinned it onto my chest and cupped the robin in my hand. I know that Ryan had watched birds from where he lived. Orchard workers always had to learn the hostile and capitol bred ones from the normal, beautiful ones. The robin wasn't a capitol bred one. They were beloved. I made another pin and tried the door of the room. Locked, as i expected. I took the pin of my chest and used the wire to pick the lock. I opened the door. I had one shot to find Ryans room. I put my ear to each door, listening to each type of breath. One was a slightly squeaky night breath sounding capitol escort no doubt. Another was gruff and deep. Hm... maybe an avox? I've heard about those. A shiver ran down my spine. I hope Lily is safe... I tried the other doors, other avoxes. Finally, on the second to last one i found the right breath pattern. Alert, slightly faster than normal, like mine, tightly controlled, and awake. Only one other person would be awake at 2:00 in the morning. I picked the lock and fixed my pin on my chest. Ryan jumped. "What the hell?" He asked, settling back down on his bed. I stepped in closing the door gently. "Look," i said in a emotionless tine. "For both of our goods, i don't want to get close to you here. I want us to be able to see each others face in the sky and be happy our opponent is dead." I took a breath. My voice regained emotion, sadness and fear. "I want us t be able to look eachother in the eye with weapons in our hands and walk away, not become allies, not kill each other, just walk away. I don't want us to become killers. We cant let the capitol win! If they win, our lives will mean nothing, dead or not. We just need to..." my voice trailed off. "You want to show them your not a piece in their quell," finished Ryan. "You were like my cousin ,Thresh." My eyebrows raised. "Your related to him?" I asked. "Yeah," said Ryan. "Everyone in this quell is, Ginger, didn't you know?" I shook my head and held out the makeshift pin. "Its a robin. Wear it during the parade, let our district see it. They need to know we remember." Ryan nodded. "Ginger, i don't want to be a piece in their games either.'' I smiled. "Good." I said and walked out. I wandered the train for the rest of the night.

** I AM SO SO SORRY I HAVENT UPDATED, ITS JUST I HAVE LESS PEOPLE READING THIS THAN MY OTHER STORIES AND I NEED TO USE MY TIME WISELY. THIS STORY HAS REALLY LOW VEIWS AND THE OTHERS HAVE ALOT SO IVE UPDATED THEM FIRST. PLEASE REVIES IT MEANS ALOT! IT'LL HELP ME POST MORE. ;) LOVE YA GUYS!**

_- Peregrine_


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